Relive the birth of freeride on film with Darcy Turenne’s ‘The Moment’

Award-winning British Columbian filmmaker, Darcy Hennessey Turenne’s feature length documentary film on the birth of freeride in BC, The Moment, premiered at the Whistler Film Festival on Sunday. The Moment follows the story of three crews of riders and filmers and their commitment to push the sport of mountain biking in an entirely different direction.

While the B.C. freeride scene may seem familiar now, do you know the story of how this type of riding emerged? Even if you lived through it all, as part of the scene or vicariously through VHS and the pages of your favourite magazines, Turenne’s documentary is a great reminder of just how radically different this type of riding was. It’s also a great reminder of how unwelcome freeride once was, even within the mountain biking community, of how big the riding in those old film segments was, and of how janky the bike’s they were sending on were.

Featuring the biggest names in freeride, and the people that helped put them where they are today. Hear about what happened, and what it was like being along for the ride directly from Wade Simmons, Brett Tippie, Richie Schley, ‘Dangerous’ Dan Cowan, videographers Christian Begin and Bjorn Enga, the legendary Todd ‘The Digger’ Fiander and more. The Moment traces freeride’s history through interviews and an impressive stock of archive, and unseen footage from the earliest days of freeride. For this story, nothing but the best in helmet mounted VHS recordings would do.

Watch the trailer then head to thisishtemomentmovie.com for more on the movie, the full cast of characters, where you can catch a screening in person, and how to how to host your own screening.

Screening Tour:

Dec. 3: Whistler, B.C. (World Premiere, Whistler Film Festival)

Dec. 8: Vancouver

Dec. 9: Squamish, B.C.

Dec. 10: Sooke, B.C.

Dec. 13: Irvine, Calif.

Dec. 14: Encinitas, Calif.